Siege of Charleston

Siege of Charleston, (1780) during the American Revolution, British land and sea campaign that cut off and forced the surrender of Charleston, S.C., the principal port city of the southern American colonies.

Charleston in 1776 had withstood attack on Fort Sullivan (renamed Fort Moultrie because its defense had been overseen by Gen.William Moultrie) by British naval and army forces commanded by Adm. Peter Parker and Gen. Henry Clinton. In 1779 it repulsed another, led by Gen. Augustus Prevost. But in the spring of 1780 Clinton succeeded where he had failed before.

At this stage of the Revolution, the British war effort was refocused from New York and New Jersey to the south, where it was believed the large number of loyalists could be roused to take action against the rebellion. By 1778 an expedition to Savannah, Ga., had resulted in British control of most of Georgia. In December 1779 a British fleet bearing a large force led by Clinton embarked from New York. After encountering stormy weather, the fleet was forced to regroup in Savannah. In February 1780 Clinton’s reconstituted army landed about 30 miles (50 km) south of Charleston and began its assault on the city, whose defense was commanded by Gen. Benjamin Lincoln.

In the coming weeks the British army advanced on and isolated Charleston. In the meantime the British fleet entered Charleston Harbor, where the small American naval flotilla had scuttled its ships and removed their cannon. The British land forces began constructing siege battlements in early April, and by April 14 the victory of a British force led by Lieut. Col. Banstre Tarleton at Moncks Corner cut off Charleston from potential colonial reinforcement. On May 12 Lincoln was forced to surrender. The British paroled the militiamen under Lincoln’s command but made prisoners of the large contingent of the Continental Army that had defended the city.